And in its first public comment on the deal, the IRA said it would not decommission its weapons immediately.

This was one of the main sticking points in securing the endorsement of unionists for the Good Friday peace agreement, reached by Northern Ireland's political leaders with the British and Irish Governments.

The statement is carried in An Phoblacht/Republican News, the weekly newspaper of the IRA's political allies, Sinn Fein.

The organisation said the statement had been issued after careful consideration of the deal and pledged that they would continue to monitor the situation.